Volunteering is helping out at school, helping a neighbor, or getting involved in the community without getting paid or receiving classroom credit. There is a range of opportunities available for you to put your time, skills, and talent to good use.

ISD 279 students in grades 9-12 can have their volunteer hours recorded on their report card and transcript.

How do I get started?

1. Decide what interests you.

If you want to help at schools consider Office Aide, Classroom Assistant or Tutoring.

Did you have an elementary or junior high teacher who you’d like to help in their classroom?

If you would like to help people and learn valuable skills, a local hospital would be a great place to volunteer.

If you are interested in helping senior citizens, contact a senior center.

If you have an elderly neighbor, help them by mowing, raking or shoveling.

If you’d like to help in the community, take part in a park clean up day, food/coat drive, youth/church group, or contact your local library.

If you like animals, help out at a local animal shelter.

If you think you may be interested in politics, volunteering to help with a campaign is a great way to find out how things work on the inside.

If you have a friend or relative who has or had a medical problem (like cancer, HIV, or diabetes, for example), you might be inspired to donate your time to help an organization that raises money for research, delivers meals, or offers other help to people with the illness.

If you like children, there are tons of volunteering opportunities — from summer youth programs to helping out at school sports programs.

After you've discovered what interests you, decide how much time you want to spend and what fits into your schedule. Most organizations want volunteers to commit to giving them a set amount of time every week or two — it varies according to the organization.

3. After you've decided what you're interested in and how much time you can devote, it's time to find out where you can volunteer.

Contact a teacher you had in elementary or junior high and ask if they could use help in their classroom.

Search the Internet or look in your local phone book under "volunteer."

Call an organization directly and ask if they need volunteers in your area.

Ask friends or relatives for ideas and contacts or look on bulletin boards in your school or the library.